A South Korean male and female dancer together won the senior gold medals (1st position) at the 15th Moscow International Ballet Competition (referred to as “Moscow Competition”) held on July 4 (local time). Founded in 1969 and taking place every four years, this competition is considered one of the most esteemed ballet events globally, along with Switzerland’s Lausanne, the U.S. Jackson, and Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP).
Lee Kang-won (21, fourth-year student at K-Arts) and Kim Min-jin (20, third-year student at K-Arts) each claimed the gold medals in the senior duet category for male and female divisions at the final event held at Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre. Park Geunbyeolbit (15, currently enrolled at the Korea National Institute for the Gifted in Arts) won the junior soloist gold medal.
The Moscow Competition separates competitors into senior and junior groups, with options for solo and duet performances. In the duet category, each partner’s score is assessed separately, which can lead to varying outcomes. Lee and Kim both achieved high scores for their acts, including the “La Esmeralda” pas de deux and the “Swan Lake” Siegfried-Odile pas de deux in the third round.
Lee had previously earned the junior male silver medal at the 2023 U.S. Jackson International Ballet Competition, whereas Kim took first place in the senior duet category at this year’s YAGP. Park, who has been called a “ballet prodigy” due to his impressive leaps and emotional expression, added another top award to his achievements after winning gold in the junior male solo category at the 2023 YAGP.
Before this, the best result for South Koreans in the senior category was winning silver medals in the duet event by former principal dancers Lee Dong-hoon and Kim Ri-hoe from the National Ballet of Korea at the 2009 competition. In the junior category, Park Sun-mi—who is now a soloist with the American Ballet Theatre (ABT)—won the junior duet gold in 2017.
The Moscow Competition, which was previously led by the late artistic director and choreographer Yuri Grigorovich, who brought the Bolshoi Ballet to international fame, has served as a starting point for icons such as Mikhail Baryshnikov (winner of the gold medal in 1969), Julio Boca, Nikolai Tsiskaridze, and Natalia Osipova.
Because of its four-year schedule, dancers get only one or two opportunities to participate within the age categories (junior: 14–18, senior: 19–27). The contest is known for its rigorous Russian judging rules, frequently not awarding gold medals when competitors don’t satisfy the requirements. Even Kim Ki-min, a principal dancer at the Mariinsky Theatre who has become an international star, was awarded only a silver (no gold) in the 2009 junior male category.
Kim Sun-hee, a retired professor from the Korea National University of Arts and one of the 10 judges this year, who are all internationally recognized ballet experts, said, “This was a day that embedded the strength of Korean ballet into global consciousness. The medalists are already getting offers from leading ballet companies around the world.”
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